Frustration

[willybrokeback]

I am going to rant a minute here.

I really suck at sustained weight loss. I understand the concepts, macros, weighing food, tracking calories, deficit targets- and I can put them in place, but I constantly sabotage myself. Its driving me nuts. I am stronger than I have ever been (at least on the lifts I can still do), I am packing the most muscle I have ever had, but I am carrying all of this extra fat. This also screws up any progress since I am constantly trying to cut calories, and failing to do so, my goals are all goofy. My body isn't sure if I am bulking or cutting. I lift six days a week and play hockey on Sundays, and I am still able to gain weight easily. I added in walks of 30-60 minutes a day, but if I do not track everything, my default settings are on bulk.

I was able to drop weight on this goofy diet I tried where you eat powdered space food 5x a day and a dinner, but I was starving and it wasn't sustainable financially. The calorie count was around 1000. Even when I am sure I am eating properly (if I am not tracking) I gain weight. I was talking to my wife the other day (who has trimmed down just by "eating less" and not tracking anything) and she suggested I have my thyroid checked.

I am not looking to compete, shoot 15% would be great, I just can't seem to get anywhere close. I was so frustrated I asked the Dr. about having my stomach stapled (I decided that probably wasn't a great idea). Its strange that I have no problems getting to the gym (regardless of how hectic things are), making sure I have enough protein and I just can not get my diet under wraps. Sometimes I think I have an eating disorder which has been mitigated by exercise but hiding there all along. My BP is on the cusp of too high, same thing with cholesterol and blood sugar levels.

Anyway- I know people have made tremendous changes on here and I was wondering what triggered some of you? (long winded way of asking I guess)

[induced_drag]

Try intermittent fasting.


I stay sub 10% with no cardio and it is almost easy. Prior to this, I could lose and gain easily, but I would get to about 10-12% and be wore out. I would want to eat more than I wanted to be lean.

IF makes this easy. Just have to work to get pro in...meaning most times I eat out, I have to order 2 entrees. A 'normal' lunch wont cut it. Eating only 2 primary meals most day makes getting in 200+g protein tough for me. I Supplement with leucine and whey at night to make up differences.

Forgot to add. I am not sure how much weight you have to lose. But if it is significant, then marco counting is still recommended. Once you get down in the 15% range, then just wing it. I have been leaning out over the past 10 months. No counting, no cardio. Just pulling back little here and there. This is not a good weight loss strategy if you have a lot of fat to lose.

[willybrokeback]

Try intermittent fasting.


I stay sub 10% with no cardio and it is almost easy. Prior to this, I could lose and gain easily, but I would get to about 10-12% and be wore out. I would want to eat more than I wanted to be lean.

IF makes this easy. Just have to work to get pro in...meaning most times I eat out, I have to order 2 entrees. A 'normal' lunch wont cut it. Eating only 2 primary meals most day makes getting in 200+g protein tough for me. I Supplement with leucine and whey at night to make up differences.

Forgot to add. I am not sure how much weight you have to lose. But if it is significant, then marco counting is still recommended. Once you get down in the 15% range, then just wing it. I have been leaning out over the past 10 months. No counting, no cardio. Just pulling back little here and there. This is not a good weight loss strategy if you have a lot of fat to lose.

Thanks ID. I know I need to count, I think I need to lose 40-50lbs. Do you fast everyday or do you switch it up ever?

[induced_drag]

Thanks ID. I know I need to count, I think I need to lose 40-50lbs. Do you fast everyday or do you switch it up ever?

In the past 10 months, I have not eaten before 2-3pm except maybe once or twice. (I do consume large amounts of coffee thought ). I use a powdered MCT for my creamer and that wont impact blood sugar...and the 8 or 9 cals from the creamer per cup is not something I worry about.

The biggest thing IF does for me is control my appetite. It makes eating less easy. I am not super strict about the window...etc.

As you mention, if significant fat loss is a goal, you still need to plot at least some macro guidance. The IF just makes it easy to stick to. When I would run structured deficits in the past, after a few weeks, I was hungry EVERY night. 10weeks in I was struggling.

If I had that much fat to lose, I might consider a jumpstart with a PSMF for 10-12 days and then transition into regular IF. You are looking at almost a year of traditional weight loss otherwise.

[willybrokeback]

In the past 10 months, I have not eaten before 2-3pm except maybe once or twice. (I do consume large amounts of coffee thought ). I use a powdered MCT for my creamer and that wont impact blood sugar...and the 8 or 9 cals from the creamer per cup is not something I worry about.

The biggest thing IF does for me is control my appetite. It makes eating less easy. I am not super strict about the window...etc.

As you mention, if significant fat loss is a goal, you still need to plot at least some macro guidance. The IF just makes it easy to stick to. When I would run structured deficits in the past, after a few weeks, I was hungry EVERY night. 10weeks in I was struggling.

If I had that much fat to lose, I might consider a jumpstart with a PSMF for 10-12 days and then transition into regular IF. You are looking at almost a year of traditional weight loss otherwise.

I will try just about anything, but I have never heard of a PSMF. I would be happy to look it up and read about if you point me in the right direction. Thank you again for the input.

[willybrokeback]

In the past 10 months, I have not eaten before 2-3pm except maybe once or twice. (I do consume large amounts of coffee thought ). I use a powdered MCT for my creamer and that wont impact blood sugar...and the 8 or 9 cals from the creamer per cup is not something I worry about.

The biggest thing IF does for me is control my appetite. It makes eating less easy. I am not super strict about the window...etc.

As you mention, if significant fat loss is a goal, you still need to plot at least some macro guidance. The IF just makes it easy to stick to. When I would run structured deficits in the past, after a few weeks, I was hungry EVERY night. 10weeks in I was struggling.

If I had that much fat to lose, I might consider a jumpstart with a PSMF for 10-12 days and then transition into regular IF. You are looking at almost a year of traditional weight loss otherwise.

Scratch the last one. I just googled it and it came up. Thanks again ID>

[willybrokeback]

In the past 10 months, I have not eaten before 2-3pm except maybe once or twice. (I do consume large amounts of coffee thought ). I use a powdered MCT for my creamer and that wont impact blood sugar...and the 8 or 9 cals from the creamer per cup is not something I worry about.

The biggest thing IF does for me is control my appetite. It makes eating less easy. I am not super strict about the window...etc.

As you mention, if significant fat loss is a goal, you still need to plot at least some macro guidance. The IF just makes it easy to stick to. When I would run structured deficits in the past, after a few weeks, I was hungry EVERY night. 10weeks in I was struggling.

If I had that much fat to lose, I might consider a jumpstart with a PSMF for 10-12 days and then transition into regular IF. You are looking at almost a year of traditional weight loss otherwise.

One more question. On the PSMF, would you stick to just the amount to satisfy your protein macro (calorie wise) or set a hard number like 1000 calories. At 5'10 260 I would assume I am somewhere around 170-180 lbm (possibly 190-200) so around 180 grams of protein and thats it correct?

[kimm4]

Between your weights, hockey and 30-60 min of walking daily that's a lot of training going on. You're going to be more hungry and eat more because of it and if you're not tracking that's what happens. I wouldn't go as drastic as PSMF because I personally don't think you need it. You can go a bit more aggressive in your deficit but make it something you can live on.

I would advise setting your intake, start tracking, less meals (which means bigger portions,) and use foods that keep you more satiated. I'd also suggest pulling out some of the cardio which might help to curb the hunger as well.

Good luck!

[willybrokeback]

Between your weights, hockey and 30-60 min of walking daily that's a lot of training going on. You're going to be more hungry and eat more because of it and if you're not tracking that's what happens. I wouldn't go as drastic as PSMF because I personally don't think you need it. You can go a bit more aggressive in your deficit but make it something you can live on.

I would advise setting your intake, start tracking, less meals (which means bigger portions,) and use foods that keep you more satiated. I'd also suggest pulling out some of the cardio which might help to curb the hunger as well.

Good luck!

. Thank you Kimm. I like the idea of IF and bigger meals. I will cut out some of the walks. I think oxygen makes me hungry though.

[tblodg15]

Besides tracking everything with no cheating which you are aware of I would suggest more fruits and vegetables. Maybe you are already eating a bunch but I don’t know how someone can be constantly hungry when they are eating fruits and vegetables and protein with every meal.

I finished a 65 pound weight loss a year ago and then bulked and cut again this past year getting leaner than before and I am almost never hungry. But my food choices and cravings have changed drastically from when I was overweight for years.

[ElrondHubbard]

. Thank you Kimm. I like the idea of IF and bigger meals. I will cut out some of the walks. I think oxygen makes me hungry though.

I have found that the occasional fast makes me less hungry. If I skip one meal, I'm miserable for a few hours, and then it goes away and I feel great for the rest of the day.

This is a recent discovery for me, and I'm not putting it to use yet, but when the time comes, I think it will work.

[weiss1967]

Anyway- I know people have made tremendous changes on here and I was wondering what triggered some of you? (long winded way of asking I guess)

To me, the only way to make cravings manageable and virtually disappear, was going keto. I kept doing it, along with IF for almost a year. I am still on a very low carb diet and this is IMO the way to go. Not full keto but on 100gr of carbs, with the rest of calories coming from fat and protein. Another interesting method that I have adopted was going by the hunger, the feel of it. Three meals a a day, and making sure I am hungry between meals for at least one hour, better two hours. It is just as goofy as any other fad diet but it is manageable and it works. Actually works better than counting calories. After a while you already know calorific value of most foods, you can roughly gauge it without weighing, and the hunger is our ultimate built-in food scale.

[willybrokeback]

I think my hunger food scale malfunctioned about 10 years ago. Thank you Weiss. I do think I have a bit of insulin sensitivity and Keto has been an effective path for me in the past. Never combine it with IF though. I may try that. I am a meat eater so there is that.

[Corbets]

Besides tracking everything with no cheating which you are aware of I would suggest more fruits and vegetables. Maybe you are already eating a bunch but I don’t know how someone can be constantly hungry when they are eating fruits and vegetables and protein with every meal.

This.

OP, i also “default to bulk”. It’s another way of saying I like to eat, and I like to eat crap.

But when I finally, after 39 years as the fat kid, got lean, a large part of it was because I filled up high-fiber veggies. Seriously, I came to love and even crave roasted cauliflower. Do the same - you can eat an awful lot of that kind of stuff while your calories stay very, very low.

It helps. Seriously.

[willybrokeback]

This.

OP, i also “default to bulk”. It’s another way of saying I like to eat, and I like to eat crap.

But when I finally, after 39 years as the fat kid, got lean, a large part of it was because I filled up high-fiber veggies. Seriously, I came to love and even crave roasted cauliflower. Do the same - you can eat an awful lot of that kind of stuff while your calories stay very, very low.

It helps. Seriously.

Thank you. I had the opposite problem growing up. I could not gain weight. I think its partially because Mom was constantly on a diet and we never had food at home and partially because of sports and my inability to sit still. Roasted Cauliflower. Ill try it.

[KrampusBuilder]

Intermittent fasting is most effective for me.

But I am a lazy bum, so only sustain it for 6 months at a time and then futz around for a few months before Gerri f back into it.

[LWW]

Try intermittent fasting.


I stay sub 10% with no cardio and it is almost easy.

I actually agree with ID here (will he even notice it though, is the question?), but someone else had to pound IF into his head, lol.

IF is great, and if you actually train hard is when this works, you stop looking at the clock and more to listening to you're body.

I know what OP is talking about "alittle", I was also an ecto/hard gainer, when I went back to school and also worked a chitty job I was very stressed and phucked-up my training along with my metabolism, gained weight quick. I've been as low as 155lb and as high now as 225, but I'm at least training very hard now and less stressed and am back into IF as well. I don't eat until early afternoon and if I'm not hungry, won't eat.

I don't think the skinny fitness guys understand though, heavy squats and veggies don't match, we may be gorillas and dinosaurs in the weight room, but we can't live the vegan life.